Geode Capital Management LLC Buys 27,979 Shares of Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC)

Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Balchem Co. (NASDAQ:BCPC - Free Report) by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 928,904 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 27,979 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned approximately 2.86% of Balchem worth $163,514,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. William Blair Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Balchem by 8.4% in the 2nd quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 233,831 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $35,998,000 after purchasing an additional 18,104 shares in the last quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Balchem by 22.1% during the second quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 20,582 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $3,169,000 after acquiring an additional 3,732 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Balchem by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 361,970 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $63,707,000 after acquiring an additional 7,562 shares during the last quarter. Fiera Capital Corp bought a new stake in shares of Balchem in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $4,201,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Balchem by 9.9% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 114,253 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $17,589,000 after purchasing an additional 10,285 shares in the last quarter. 87.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Balchem Stock Up 0.3 %

BCPC traded up $0.55 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $176.28. The company's stock had a trading volume of 100,938 shares, compared to its average volume of 109,802. The stock's 50-day moving average is $175.13 and its 200-day moving average is $169.27. Balchem Co. has a 1 year low of $135.84 and a 1 year high of $186.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.28, a PEG ratio of 5.32 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.98, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

Balchem Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared an annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.87 per share. This is a boost from Balchem's previous annual dividend of $0.79. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 26th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.4%. Balchem's dividend payout ratio is presently 23.39%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BCPC has been the topic of several recent research reports. HC Wainwright raised their price target on Balchem from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. StockNews.com raised Balchem from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th.

About Balchem

Balchem Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets specialty performance ingredients and products for the nutritional, food, pharmaceutical, animal health, medical device sterilization, plant nutrition, and industrial markets worldwide. It operates through three segments: Human Nutrition and Health, Animal Nutrition and Health, and Specialty Products.